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GOP Debate Live Blog

Rick Perry can expect plenty of flak when Republicans gather in Tampa, Fla., for tonight’s presidential debate. The Texas governor is riding high in the polls, and his rivals are eager to remind seniors in the Sunshine State that he called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.”

Just don’t be surprised if the audience applauds Mr. Perry’s tough talk about the popular retirement program, even in a state crawling with seniors; the debate, after all, is being co-hosted by the Tea Party Express, a group that bills itself as the voice of small-government activists who will expect the nominee to overhaul the costly entitlement program. Mr. Perry’s remarks might be music to their ears.

Beyond that, tonight’s debate could promise more of the same, unless a candidate can present him- or herself as a credible alternative to Mr. Perry or former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The stakes are highest for Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who has faded from the headlines since winning the Iowa straw poll less than a month ago. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., on the other hand, might seem a little out-of-place in a debate sponsored by the tea party (in conjunction with CNN), given his decision to pitch himself as the lone moderate in a field of professed conservatives. But he might have the most to gain from a strong performance in a state that could prove crucial to his presidential ambitions.

Stick with Washington Wire tonight, as we digest the candidates’ remarks. I’ll be joined tonight by Washington bureau chief Jerry Seib and Matthew Rose, another editor in the Washington bureau, who both promise to keep the conversation lively and offer an alternate take to the one offered by this sleep-deprived dad.

The candidates will be back at it next week in Orlando for the third debate this month (and sixth so far this year), so whatever is said and done tonight could be a distant memory the next time they gather on a debate stage in Florida.